South African consumers are paying significantly more for oxtail as ongoing restrictions on beef imports from Argentina continue to limit supplies and drive up prices.
According to the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (AMIE), oxtail prices have nearly doubled in recent months. The product, which sold for between R79 and R99 per kilogram from January to May, is now retailing for between R169 and R199 per kilogram.
Argentina key to South Africa’s oxtail supply
South Africa relies heavily on imports to meet local demand for oxtail, with at least 70% of supplies sourced from Argentina. Local production is insufficient to satisfy consumer demand, making imports crucial to maintaining stable prices and availability.
AMIE chief executive Paul Matthew said the current restrictions stem from a veterinary certification dispute that emerged earlier this year following the detection of scrapie in sheep in Argentina.
Scrapie is a disease that affects sheep and goats, not cattle. However, the South African veterinary certificate for Argentine beef contained a declaration that Argentina was free of the disease.
Argentina subsequently requested that the declaration be removed, and South Africa’s Department of Agriculture later acknowledged that its inclusion had been a “technical error”.
Certificate changes lead to broader restrictions
While the original issue appeared straightforward, Matthew said the revised veterinary certificate introduced additional requirements related to Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and Vesicular Stomatitis.
According to AMIE, these new conditions have effectively prevented Argentine establishments located in FMD-free zones where vaccination is practised from supplying oxtail and certain other bone-in beef products to South Africa.
“What began as a relatively simple correction to a certificate has resulted in a much broader set of restrictions that continue to prevent trade, with a significant impact on cash-strapped South African consumers,” Matthew said.
Industry questions scientific basis
AMIE has called on the Department of Agriculture to explain the scientific rationale behind the additional import requirements and why safeguards that are internationally recognised are considered inadequate for Argentine oxtail imports.
The association has formally written to the department seeking the scientific evidence and risk assessments that informed the revised requirements. It is also urging authorities to reconsider the measures as a matter of urgency.
Matthew said the restrictions appear inconsistent with internationally accepted standards established by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), which permits trade in meat from recognised FMD-free zones where vaccination is used, provided appropriate safeguards are in place.
Argentina has not recorded an FMD outbreak since February 2006 and maintains several WOAH-recognised FMD-free zones, including regions where vaccination programmes are implemented.
Questions over policy consistency
The importer body is also questioning the consistency of South Africa’s stance given the existing cooperation between the two countries on animal health matters.
South Africa has previously procured FMD vaccines from Argentina, while the countries have established a technical cooperation programme focused on animal health.
Matthew stressed that the industry is not seeking weaker biosecurity measures but rather a regulatory approach that is transparent, proportionate to risk and grounded in recognised scientific evidence.
Call for interim solution
AMIE is proposing an interim arrangement that would allow imports to resume under the previously accepted veterinary certificate, with the incorrect scrapie declaration removed, while broader technical concerns are reviewed.
Matthew argued that consumers are bearing the financial burden of restrictions that have yet to be fully explained.
“Consumers should not be paying significantly higher prices because of restrictions that have not been clearly explained,” he said.
- Oxtail prices in South Africa have nearly doubled due to ongoing restrictions on beef imports from Argentina, rising from R79-R99 per kilogram to R169-R199 per kilogram.
- South Africa sources at least 70% of its oxtail from Argentina because local production does not meet demand.
- Restrictions began after a dispute over a veterinary certificate that incorrectly declared Argentina free of scrapie, a disease affecting sheep and goats.
- Revised import requirements now include additional conditions related to Foot-and-Mouth Disease, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, and Vesicular Stomatitis, limiting Argentine oxtail exports.
- The Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (AMIE) has requested scientific evidence for the new restrictions and suggested an interim solution to remove the incorrect scrapie declaration while reviewing technical concerns.
